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E. M. WITHERELL.

FABRIC DRYING AND SHAPING DEVICE. APPLICATION FILFD MAY26. l9l7.

Patented Oct. 14, 1919.

1 VEN 0R. s

Mam ATTORNEY.

nnrrnn s rains rarnnr onrioa EARL M. WITHERELL, OF DULUTH, MIN

NESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO F. A.

PATRICK & COMPANY, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA, A CORPORATION OF MINNE SOTA.

Application filed To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL M. VVITHERELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric Drying and Shaping Devices, of which the follow ing is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to fabric drying devices and has special reference to such for the drying of hosiery and the like.

The principal ob'ect of the invention is to provide means whereby quicker and better results may be accomplished than heretofore known in the art.

Another object is to provide means whereby the drying element may be forced through as large a proportion of the object being dried as possible.

Another object is to provide simple means whereby different sized forms may be interchanged with the least labor and annoyance possible.

Another object is to provide rneans whereby even distribution of the drying element is accomplished throughout the plurality of forms being simultaneouslv em ployed.

Other objects and advantages of the novel construction will appear in the further de scriptionof the device.

In the accompanying drawings part of this reference characters indicate like parts,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a fragmentary portion of an installation embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section of one of the form coupling means, an

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse sectional view on the line A-B, Fig. 1, showing a stocking on the form.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a working shelf or table through which the form supporting branch pipes 2 extend, they being connected with the horizontally extending manifold conduit or pipe 3.

The pipe 3 is graduated in size, diminishing from its source of supply to the extreme opposite end and may be made to support any desired number of branch pipes 2, having as a convenient number for illustrating the invention.

forming Specification of Letters Patent.

application and'in which likeshown three thereof in the drawings,-

FABRIC DRYING AND SHAPING DEVICE.

Patented Oct. 14:, 1919.

May 26, 1917. Serial No. 171,135.

At each point of reduction of the pipe 3, is formed an inclined portion 4:, it occurring only upon the upper side of the pipe and through which inclined portion the branch pipes 2 communicate and are fixed, the upper and lower sides of the pipe 3 being parallel between said branch pipes. This is for the purpose of providing as direct and uniform circulation as possible of the air employed as a drying element and which is forced through the pipes in any desired manner.

The upper end of each branch pipe 2 has the front and rear walls 5 and 6 respectively thereof, inclined upwardly toward each other forming a tapered discharge nozzle, as

clearly illustrated in Fig. 2. The front wall 5 of the nozzle has a partly cutout portion 7 therein, the lower end of which is made to normally extend slightly beyond a plane with the face of the front wall and upon the ,outer face of the portion 7 is fixed a projec ing substantially semi-spherical knob 8, which is designed to act as a lock or catch 'for the lower end of the hosiery form 9, when the latter is appliedto the free end of the branch pipe.

The lower end 10 of the form 9 is shaped to coincide with the cooperating nozzle end of the pipe 2, the front wall thereof being provided with a suitable hole 11 therethrough, which registers with the knob 8 when the form is placed upon the nozzle, and which engagement is designed to be sufficient to prevent the form from being accidentally displaced or removed from the nozzle and still provide simple means whereby a slight pressure of the finger of the operator upon the knob 8 will disengage it from contact with the form and allow the latter to be freely removed. 7

The hosiery form 9, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, is composed of interwoven open mesh wire of a metal suitable for the purpose and not susceptible to corrosion, as the garments being dried upon such forms are usually placed thereupon in a damp or moist state. 1

The form 9 in cross-section is of a diamond shape, as illustrated in Fig. 3 and is made of two like sections of the wire employed, the abutting side edges of the wire sections being soldered together and overlapped by a V- haped metal binding piece 12, the outer opposed faces of which are in this character.

a plane with the outer walls of the form so as to provide a smooth and. even surface. upon the form.

.The'fou'r side walls of the form being straight and flat result in aposi-tive obtuse angle 13, upon either side through the medial line of theform. Thus when the gar? ment is removed from the form it will have fixed therein a central crease causedby'said. angles, thus producing an individual characteristic to the hose dried-upon a-form of and which establishes its' identity. V

This diamond shape of form is also'material in the matter of strength to resist collapsing stress and that without the necessity ofa central wall through the form.

'By using a woven .wire for the form, it evident that the greatest possible area of the garment is simultaneously exposed to the action. of the dryingelement, as the latter may contact the entire inner surface of the garment with theeXceptionof the exceedingly small places where the humps of wire forming the meshescontact same. It is. further obvious. that where cold air is used asa drying element, the necessity of its contacting substantially the entire sur face of the garment and passing therethrough, is essential. It is well. known that in'some kinds of fabric the drying with comparatively cold air isfar superior to thatof hot air, and with this construction of form, results heretofore impossible are accomplished.

-If found preferable, in lieuo'f a noncorrosive metal being used in the construc-' tion of the forms as above described, said forms may be made of common iron or other metal and subsequently enameled with porcelain or the like to prevent objectionable chemical action when contacting the damp hose, and produce a form upon which the objects being dried may be applied and removed with the least friction possible as porcelainis known to have a smooth and particularly desirable surface'for the pur ose. I p Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is, Q 7

l. A hosiery drying'and shaping device comprising an air supply. manifold pipe graduated in size, upwardly extending curved branch pipes spaced apart upon the manifold pipe, one at the juncture of each step in the graduation ofthe pipe, tapered nozzles upon the free ends of the branch pipes, open'forms havingtapered shanks comprising an having the upper wall thereof to co-engage wit-h the nozzles, and adjustable locking means for holding the forms upon the branch pipes against accidental'removal, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A hosiery drying and shaping device air supply manifold pipe successively stepped, forming graduations in the size thereof, an upwardly extending branch pipe at the juncture of each step-in the graduation of the pipe and garment receiving forms carried. by the branch pipes for the purpose described. a V V drying and shaping device of the character described comprising an air supply manifoldpipe graduated in size, an upwardly extending branch pipe at the juncture of each the pipe, tapered nozzles upon the free ends of the branch pipes, hollow open forms having tapered shanks to co-engage with the nozzles and means for holding the forms upon the branch pipes against accidental removal.

4. In a hosiery drying and shaping device of the character described, a manifoldsupply pipe having its upper wall successively stepped forming graduated sizes thereof; hollow undivided perforated drying forms and branch pipes at each stepof the graduations in the manifold pipe which communicates with the forms whereby air under uniform pressure is simultaneously supplied to the entire area of all'of the forms.

In combination a horizontally disposed air supply pipe graduated in size, a plurality of upwardly extending hollow undivided single-walled forms spaced longitudinally upon the pipe and communicating with the interior thereof whereby air may be forced under uni-v form pressure and volume throughfabric mounted upon all ofthe forms.

6. In combination air supply pipe graduated in size, a plurality of upwardly extending perforated drying the pipe and communicating-with the'interior thereof whereby air maybeforced under uniform pressure and volume through fabric mountedupon all of the forms.

In testimony whereof I hereuntoaflix my step in the graduation of perforated drying.

a horizontally disposed forms spaced longitudinally upon signature in the presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses? W. H. DENHAM,. S. G120. STEVENS.

I EARL M. l/VITHEREDL.

Copies ot this'patent may be obtained for five. cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Batents, 7 p

V Washington, D. 0. Y 

